Loss of patient voice in Welsh NHS changes

28/09/2017

The Patients Association has expressed concern that proposals to change patient involvement in the NHS in Wales risk diluting rather than enhancing it.

Rachel Power, Chief Executive of the Patients Association, said: “While we agree that Community Health Councils could do more to represent communities in Wales, the proposal to scrap them and have a single national body in their place risks creating an organisation that represents nobody.

“This consultation puts a welcome emphasis on co-production, but in practice it proposes limiting the patient voice to inspection, not the planning and delivery of services.

“Wales needs mechanisms to make the patient voice central to how the NHS does its work. These mechanisms must be able to reach deep into local communities. Effective reform of Community Health Councils may be a better option than simply scrapping them in favour of a potentially remote national body.”